Cross Country
by DSISandraPullman39
Summary: "As of this moment we're on holiday so relax and enjoy it ok?"
1. Chapter 1

**Cross country 1/14**

**Disclaimer:-** Don't own them just borrowing!

**Episode:- **None

**Pairing:- **Sandra/Gerry

**Rating:- **M

**Achieve:- . /group/new_tricksff/**

**Summary:-** "As of this moment we're on holiday so relax and enjoy it ok?"

**Author's Note:- **In answer to Ellie's long boring Journey challenge in 14 parts dealing with each section of the journey/holiday! Rated for sexual content and occasion adult language. Enjoy and reviews would be lovely!

The "case" for the prosecution

"Sandra is there any chance you could take one or two things out of this case so I might actually be able to get it closed?" Gerry called leaning over the suitcase again trying to get the latch closed but failing miserably. Compared to the medium sized grip that he'd managed to put everything he needed for their fortnight's holiday in her case was gargantuan. Not only that but it was so over stuffed that there was no hope of the two sides meeting so the latch could be closed.

"No I can't I need everything that's in there, what sort of man are you that you can't even get a girl's suitcase sorted for her." Sandra replied bursting into giggles as she came out of the en-suite to see him marooned on top of the suitcase, arms and legs flailing around like a turtle which had accidently rolled onto it's back.

"We're going for 14 days Sandra not 14 months you can't possibly need all this."

"Ok well let's see what you think I should take out." She smiled nudging him off the case rolling her eyes as he rolled onto the floor as she flung it open. "All of that side is clothes an outfit for each day and a few evening things for when we go out I haven't even gone mad with shoes so you can't say anything needs to come out of there."

"OK I'll give you that but if all of that is in one side of the case what the hell is in the other?" Gerry grumbled pulling back the cover on the other side of the case and narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"This is the fun side." Sandra smiled lifting the first thing off the top. "Red string bikini I suppose I could leave that behind."

"No….no I wouldn't expect you to sacrifice swim wear." Gerry smiled as she lifted several more barely there items of swimwear from the case and he gave the same response to each one. They had deliberately book a private villa away from the centre of the small Spanish town they were holidaying in so that they would have privacy to enjoy their first holiday away as a couple. The more very small items of clothing with as little fabric covering the body he loved so much she had the better it would be.

"OK so we've established the swimwear stays I suppose some of these could go." Sandra replied lifting several set of matching underwear all of which she knew he loved to see her in knowing immediately what his response was going to be as he firmly shook his head. "Ok so the swim wear and the underwear stays I suppose that only leaves this then."

"What's that?" Gerry asked looking at the soft velvet bag she took from the bottom of the case and held it up.

"It was a surprise but since you want the case emptied and that was all that we've worked out can go that's that I suppose." She smiled holding it just out of his reach before giving in and letting him take it from her watching as he opened the flap and glanced inside before closing it again and setting it back in the case.

"No that comes with us too." He said quietly pulling her into his arms and kissing her hungrily as she relented to him for a moment before pushing him away.

"Hold that thought till we get to the hotel tonight if we don't get going we'll miss the ferry and you still have to do your HE Man bit and get the case closed." Sandra laughed grabbing the two smaller bags of hand luggage from the floor and heading downstairs.

Outside she looked at the back of her car where they seemed to have already packed enough for several months away instead of a fortnight. Gerry had insisted on bringing several pieces of kitchen equipment that he was sure the villa wouldn't be equipped with not to mention a whole box of spices and dried ingredients, between those and he box of books, journals and other things that were completely essential to day to day living there was only just room for the two cases already.

"OK I finally got it closed but I'm not sure it's going to hold it's just as well we're driving you realise this would never be allowed on a plane don't you?" Gerry shouted a few moments later struggling out the door with his grip over his shoulder and her case pulling behind him on wheels that looked like they were having trouble supporting the weigh being put on them. Grunting he loaded them into the space in the boot that had been carefully measure to ensure they fitted before closing it and breathing a sigh of relief. "Are we finally ready to go?"

"Let's just go inside and do a final check around and go through the folder with the tickets and passports and everything to make sure we've not forgotten anything." Sandra replied ignoring his frustrated groan as she headed back in doors and he followed.

"I've checked every window and door and made sure every plug is out other than the lights that are attached to the timer switches." Gerry sighed walking into the kitchen ten minutes later to find her with all their travel documents spread out on the breakfast car going back down her list, checking each thing off as she put it back in again.

"Will you call Jack and just check again that he has the key and he knows to call at least every other day to pick up the mail?"

"No!" He replied gathering up the documents and putting them all back into the folder before handing it to her and pushing her toward the door. "The house will be fine, Jack knows what we want him to do you told him two dozen times then another dozen just in case he'd forgotten. We have all our documents, the car is packed with everything we could need and more now get in the bloody car and let's go before we don't get a holiday because I've killed you and ended up banged up."

"Fine, ok let's go." Sandra smiled getting in the car and watching as he closed and locked the front door before getting into the car beside her.

"As of this moment we're on holiday so relax and enjoy it ok?"

"Ok." She smiled as they pulled out of the driveway and she couldn't help but give a final glance back just to make sure the door was in fact closed.


	2. Chapter 2

**** For authors notes, disclaimer etc. see chapter 1**

Cross Country 2 – A journey of a thousand miles begins with….

"Gerry are you sure you know where you're going? You realise we're already cutting it fine to catch the overnight ferry don't you?" Sandra sighed as the satnav said turn left and Gerry ignored it and turned right. He'd been making a point of ignoring the machine since they left the house and now she was beginning to get extremely irritated by it.

"I told you we don't need that thing I know where I'm going and we've plenty of time it's two hours till we have to check in will you relax already." Gerry replied giving her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. He did know where he was going she however didn't. When they'd first planned the holiday the idea of going on the overnight ferry had seemed like the most logical one but as time had passed he knew she'd been regretting not just deciding to go by the channel tunnel and take the most direct route. In the end he'd cancelled the ferry and booked the tunnel but to keep the surprise he had to let her think they were still travelling that night when in fact they were staying in the best hotel he could find close to the tunnel port. Up until they'd left the house the plan to keep it a secret had been going perfectly but he hadn't really thought through how he was going to explain the change in route especially since she'd insisted on using the car's satnav which was directly contradicting everything he was doing.

"I would if you'd just do what the voice on the satnav tells you how hard is it to follow a set of instructions…actually don't answer that you never follow my instructions and I am a real person who can break your arms if I feel like it. Why don't you let me drive?"

"No, look do you trust me?" Gerry asked as they stopped at a set of traffic lights and he briefly turned to look at her.

"You know I do but I also want to actually get to where we're going." Sandra replied sighing as he didn't answer but instead kept staring at her. "Fine but I swear if you don't get us there in time you will have a very boring celibate holiday and if you're going to ignore that thing turn it off that tinny voice does my head in."

"Yes ma'am." Gerry smiled as she sank back into the passenger seat turning up the music on the radio and closing her eyes. She couldn't travel any distance in the car without falling asleep and now that she'd stopped fussing he had every confidence that within moments she's be out for the count and he'd be in the clear until he got them to the hotel.

"Sandra wake up we're here." Gerry said quietly over an hour later when he had pulled into the underground car park at the Hilton hotel.

"Are we on time did we make it." Sandra asked stretching in the seat before staring at out the window of the car and immediately feeling herself tense. "I don't believe this I knew we were going to miss it! Gerry you promised we would be there in time now we've missed the ferry and…"

"Wow down girl we haven't missed anything we're not going by ferry. I know you hated the thought of it seconds after we booked the ferry so I changed it we're going on the tunnel in the morning tonight we have a room booked here five minutes from the terminal." He replied watching as her eyes lit up and the scowl on her face turned to a broad smile.

"Seriously? Oh my god that's the best news I've heard all day." Sandra beamed suddenly feeling a lot more awake and a lot happier than she had been moments before. The idea of spending the entire night on the ferry even with a cabin with an actual bed and everything hadn't appealed to her after the initial holiday planned excitement had worn off. Now the fact that he had taken it upon himself to change it as a surprise simply reminded her why she loved him so much.

"Yes seriously now come on there's a king sized bed and a Jacuzzi bath up there without name on it." Gerry replied grabbing the small overnight bag he had hidden in the back seat and getting out of the car."

Walking through the lobby of the hotel Sandra marvelled at how quickly an infrastructure of service industries sprang up catering to all economic levels when something like the channel tunnel opened. Twenty years before the area they were in was a typical sea port now with a direct line to mainland Europe the area around the tunnel terminal had become like it's own mini city. The Hilton they were now standing in could have been lifted and placed in any capital city in the world and not looked out of place and when Gerry arrived back with their room key and led her toward the lift she really felt like the holiday was beginning properly.

"Gerry I still can't believe you organised all this without letting it slip you are rubbish at keeping secrets!" She smiled as they reached the room and he opened the door standing aside to let her in. The room was plush and her eye was immediately drawn to the floor to ceiling windows at the other side of the room that looked out onto the shoreline lit up by the moon light dappling on the water. Walking toward it she looked out into the night as he came up behind her wrapping his arms around her waist and bringing his lips close to her ear.

"When it comes to making this holiday the best you've ever had I can keep a secret." He whispered kissing his way from her earlobe down her neck as she sighed contentedly.

"Oh I think it's going to be the best holiday I've ever hand." She said quietly turning in his arms and kissing him with the sort of slow passion that made promises she had every intention of keeping. Not just that night but for the rest of the two weeks they were going to have away from everything that normally kept consumed their days and she couldn't wait to show him just how much she planned on squeezing in to the shot time they had.


	3. Chapter 3

**** For authors notes, disclaimer etc. see chapter 1**

Cross Country 3 – Choo-Choo

"You know years ago when they said they were going to build under the sea and put a tunnel between England and France I swore I'd never set foot on it." Sandra laughed as they sat in the queue of cars the next morning waiting for their turn to drive onto the train for their trip to mainland Europe.

"You weren't the only one it seemed like the biggest joke in the world I was convinced it would become a huge white elephant but here we are and I'll take it over the ferry any day." Gerry agreed just as a young man in a hi-vis jacket waved them onto the huge train carriage. Their night had been perfect and totally justified his decision to surprise her with the hotel stay. They'd had a fantastic meal in the hotel, soaked in the Jacuzzi then made love before falling asleep in the king sized hotel bed.

"Last night was amazing thanks for organising it I really didn't want to spend the night on the ferry. I don't know what I did to deserve you but I'm glad I did it you're amazing."

"I know," Gerry smiled winking playfully at her as she killed the engine unclipping his seatbelt and leaning in to kiss her gently. "But then you're pretty amazing yourself so I suppose we're well suited."

"You're so modest and so full of crap." Sandra laughed looking around as the last of the cars drove on and the doors of the carriage were closed. She'd been on the Eurostar a few times since the tunnel was opened but never on the car trains and she was quite excited, the idea of being on French soil in less than 2 hours and officially on the first part of their journey was so exciting and their first overnight stop at a vineyard four hours' drive from the terminal was one she was particularly looking forward to.

"Let's get out and go to the restaurant car for something to eat since we're here we should make the most of it."

"Gerry you ate a fry-up that would keep most people going for a week less than three hours ago you can't be hungry." Sandra laughed getting out of the car as he came round to her side pulling her into his arms as she got out.

"Yeah well if you recall." He whispered bringing his lips close to her ear as he did letting one of his hands slide down her back to rest on her ass. "I also managed to burn off quite a bit of that huge fry-up before we checked out thanks to you so after all that activity I'm hungry again. Besides between us we've four hours of driving to do once we get off this train so some coffee wouldn't go a miss."

"Ok then I suppose you're right and now that we're on here we might as well see it all." Sandra smiled giving him a quick kiss before taking his hand and pulling him in the direction of the dining car.

"Sandra weren't you the one saying I couldn't be hungry? You did have quite a large breakfast yourself but you're eating that pain-au-chocolate like you're not seen food in months." Gerry laughed twenty minutes later as they sat at one of the small tables along one side of the train's dining car.

"I know but I'm sorry there is no way they got this croissant from our side of the tunnel they just melt in your mouth." Sandra murmured taking another bit of pastry and moaning softly as Gerry shook his head laughing quietly as he pulled the plate away from her. "Hey! That's mine! Give it back!"

"No, absolutely not no more French pastries for you. Nothing is allowed to cause you to make those sorts of noises unless those things are being done by me!"

"Oh I don't know, with buttery pastry, dark chocolate and that dusting of icing sugar." Sandra smiled lowering her voice and glancing at him seductively through her eyelashes "Put all that together and I can see why people say good chocolate is better than sex."

"Now that's just a step too far I think it's time we went back to the car I'm not sure I approve of the effect leaving UK soil is having on you." Gerry gasped the mock surprise on his face making her laugh as she got up grabbing the last of the croissant off the plate as he lead her back toward the carriage their car was in. "If you're like this over a croissant what are you going to be like when we get to the vineyard tonight?"

"If they have food as good as this and wine to match I might just stay there and let you go on to the villa yourself."

"Is that so? Well maybe I could find myself some gorgeous Spanish nymphomaniac to keep me company."

"She'd need to be able to put up with your snoring first!" Sandra replied pulling him toward her enjoying the teasing playful atmosphere between them as she held out the last piece of the pastry letting it brush his lips as he bit it in half his eyes widening as he did."

"Oh my god that's amazing!" Gerry muttered taking the last piece as she held it out to him before feeding it to her smiling as she reacted in the same way as she had back in the dining car.

"Come on now that you've tasted it yourself you have to agree it's something else."

"Yeah ok I'll give you that it's very tasty but I'd still take a night of passion with you over it any day." Gerry nodded as the loud speaker in the carriage announced that they would begin disembarkation in ten minutes and that everyone should return to their cars.

"Well it looks like we're here maybe tonight when we get to the vineyard you can remind me why spending the night with you is more exciting than any French pastry." Sandra smiled kissing him hungrily tasting the sweetness from this tongue as it briefly battled with hers before another announcement brought them back to reality and they got back into the car just in time to see the doors opening on the side of the carriage and moments later they were driving out into the French sunshine.

"Well now that we're on the road again I'd say that was a challenge you just threw down there Sandra." Gerry said quietly following the other cars in front of them toward the motorway.

"I've no idea what you mean." Sandra replied with a teasing wink before putting on her sunglasses and settling back in the car seat for the drive ahead feeling herself smile at nothing as the images of how their first European night was going to pan out, She had every confidence that the whole fortnight was going to be peppered with lazy days and nights exploring each other's bodies, that night would just be the start of it and she couldn't wait. She was finding it impossible to hide just how excited she was about all of it as she glanced over at him and knew he was thinking exactly the same thing.


	4. Chapter 4

**** For authors notes, disclaimer etc. see chapter 1**

Cross Country 4/? – Vive-la-France

"Are we there yet? Sandra grumbled pouting sulkily at Gerry as he drove through the French countryside. She knew she was being a pain, she knew they couldn't be more than half an hour from the vineyard they were staying in for the night but she was extremely impatient to get there.

"You know we're not, but it isn't much further." Gerry laughed reaching over and squeezing her thigh gently. He was as anxious to reach their destination as she was but the way the long car journey seemed to have made her revert to being a five year old again was hilarious.

"Tell me about the giete again remind me why we've been driving through France for a whole day instead of stopping somewhere half way to the Spanish boarder like we were supposed to be. Entertain me Gerry." She continued batting her eyelashes playfully at him as he rolled his eyes. He was the one who had been so determined that they shouldn't stop somewhere further north for a night as they'd planned but rather drive to only 20 miles from the Spanish boarder and say at the vineyard for two nights instead. He's assured her that it would be worth it and now she wanted him to remind her why.

"It's a conversion of an 18th century barn in the grounds of the vineyard…"

"18th century sounds old and dusty and cold are there going to be spiders everywhere? You know I hate spiders!"

"No there isn't going to be dust nor spiders." Gerry laughed enjoying her continued descent into childishness. When people saw Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman professional and ever in control they'd never believe she could be vulnerable or teasing or loving in the way that she was when they were together and he loved that he was the only person who saw it. "It's a modern conversion on the inside it's only the shell that's 18th Century. I showed you the pictures it's beautifully decorated and there's a huge four poster king sized bed for us to enjoy too. Not only that but the onsite chef who cooks three Michelin star food which is brought to you in the giete along with as much of their own wine as you can drink while you're there."

"Unlimited wine? You did warn them we are very fond of good wine didn't you? I'm not sure their version of unlimited and ours would be the same." Sandra laughed as she saw the first road sign for the small town near the vineyard and knew they were getting close.

"There's a case of 12 bottles in the giete on arrival even we can't make it through 6 bottles a night." Gerry smiled getting into the swing of selling the place to her as it started to remind him of all the reasons why he's fallen for it to begin with when he'd seen it online. "Besides it also means if the wine is good we can buy a couple of cases to take to the villa with us. Nice and all as Spain is they make wine that bears a striking resemblance to cats piss."

"I don't mind the odd glass of Spanish Rose."

"Yeah well we'll not get into how terrible your pallet is."

"Hey you said I was getting better since you started educating me on food and wine." Sandra replied shaking her head as he shrugged. For years before they became a couple he'd tried to convince her that food was not something you pierced the film on and stuck in the microwave. He'd started her culinary education in earnest though since they'd been together and that had included trying to get her out of the mind-set that wine was wine and the bottles that sold for £5.99 that she used to buy where exactly the same as the good vintage bottles at four times the price.

"It is getting better but you still have a long way to go especially if you think Spain make any drinkable wines." He continued trying to decide if he should turn left or right at the junction with a very vague road sign stating that "La Franco Blanca" was only 3km away.

"A couple of night being snack band in the middle of a French vineyard should do it. I can see vines!"

"Me too and there's the main house up on the hill, do you see, I can see two barns, they have two conversions I wonder which one will be ours." Gerry replied pulling into the driveway and driving slowly through the wines lining each side.

"I don't know I just want to get there and get these shoes off."

"Well as soon as I talk to the owner and get out keys we will be in and you can take your shoes, and anything else you want to, off."

"You have a one track mind Gerry Standing you realise that don't you?"

"Only when you're around. Sit tight while I check us in then we'll head down,"

Nodding then watching as he walked away she looked around at their home for the next couple of nights. He had been right, from the outside anyway, she could see that all the buildings looked well maintained and the vines seemed to stretch for as far as the eye could see. If their giete was even half as nice it would be fantastic.

"Sorted, I've for our key and a copy of the menu so we can decide what we want for dinner. There's a direct line from the giete to the reception desk if we've any problems.

"Oh god Gerry is that it?" Sandra asked as a beautifully painted and maintained converted barn came into view. The small windows were decorated with red and white gingham curtains, there were vases of flowers in the upstairs ones and the entire feeling that she got from the building was perfect.

"You like it?"

"I love it, let's go and see what else there is apart from the king sized bed you seem to have picked out from the photos,"

"Sounds good to me, though really the bed is huge," Gerry smiled getting out of the car and following her to the door breathing a sigh of relief that once again he'd got it right and the perfectness of their trip was continuing.


End file.
